Avatar: Lead By Vengeance Book 4: Vengeance
by c0balt
Summary: It has been 10 years since Isaac and Kayla were married. They live the normal life they dreamed about. But Isaac's past has caught up with him. Driven by vengeance for Isaac, this new foe is his toughest yet, and Isaac must go beyond his own mastery of the elements if he wants to survive, and earn his and his family's freedom from Isaac's mistakes.
1. Chapter 1: Catching Up

**Chapter 1: Catching Up**

Isaac heard a knock at the front door. He walked over, and opened it, Asher standing at the door.

Isaac heard a scream from behind him. His daughter Zoe ran from behind him to the door.

"Uncle Asher! You came!" she yelled as she hugged him.

"You think I would miss my favourite niece's 8th birthday?" Asher laughed. When Zoe let go of him, Isaac put his hand out to shake.

"I told you this at the wedding. We aren't closing a business deal." Said Asher, as he hugged his old friend.

"The police didn't follow you here?" Isaac asked.

"According to the police, I am staying with my cousins 200 miles southeast of here, whom can vouch for the fact that I was there." Laughed Asher, "Now can you help me bring this stuff in?"

It had been 10 years since he and Kayla married, and ran away. Isaac still tried his hardest to not be found. Isaac took Asher's suitcase, and helped took it to the spare bedroom. When they were in the room, Asher shut the door.

"I have news, and it's not good." Said Asher.

"What?"

"Do you remember when you and Kayla were captured? You were thrown in the Burning Suns cell, and had to torture a man until he let you out?" asked Asher.

"Yes?"

"Well he broke out of prison 3 months ago. When he escaped, I was set with the task of inspecting the cell. Some of the stuff was pretty disturbing."

"What was it?" asked Isaac, starting to worry.

"Most prisoners etch things into the walls and the floor. When we moved the bed, we found something etched into the walls where the bed covered. "Must Kill the Avatar""

"What? How dangerous is this man?" asked Isaac shocked.

"Very. He must have been training hid firebending in secret because he broke out using lightning and blue fire. Blue fire is a lot more dangerous than the red, and I have a hunch that it is linked to his mental instability." Explained Asher.

"Listen, I don't want you to tell Kayla or Zoe about this. I can probably deal with this guy myself, but I don't want them getting worried." Isaac asked.

"If that is what you want, I won't say a thing."

"So this is where you two have been hiding!" said Kayla, as she walked into the spare bedroom and found her husband and friend, "Did you seriously think you could go the entire weekend without saying hello to me Asher?"

"Hello Kayla. No I knew you wouldn't let me do that, Isaac was just helping me with some stuff." Explained Isaac.

"Well anyway dinner is ready, and Zoe is going crazy with excitement about Uncle Asher being here. Isaac can you please try and calm her down? If this is what she is like now, I am scared of what the birthday cake will do to her." Laughed Kayla, as the two men left the room.

After eating dinner, Isaac, Asher, Kayla and Zoe sat around the table, and sang happy birthday to Isaac's eight-year-old daughter. She blew out the candles, and Isaac cut the cake, making sure not to give his sugar-sensitive daughter too much. When she was distracted, Kayla left the room, and came back with a large box, wrapped in paper, with Zoe's name written on it. She was about to open it, when something happened that shocked everyone.

"Which one of you is the Avatar?" said a raspy voice from behind them. Isaac turned around and saw someone he hadn't seen in years. The man from the Burning Suns. The new blood.

"Daddy, what's happening?" asked Zoe, her fear obvious in her voice.

"Don't worry sweetie, everything will be alright." Said Asher. Isaac realised what Asher was doing.

"I'm the Avatar." Asher said, staring at the man.

"I have a score to settle with you." Said the man, an evil grin appearing on his face. He began to move his arms, electricity appearing at his fingertips. After a few seconds, he flicked his arm towards Asher, the lightning hitting its target, and causing an explosion. When the smoke cleared, the man saw that a wall of earth had erupted from the floor between him and his target.

"Asher, get Kayla and Zoe out of here!" Isaac yelled. He pulled his arms in the air, and the drinks on the table levitated out of the glasses. Isaac froze them, creating icy spears and threw them towards the man who melted them with ease.

Lifting the rubble of the fragile earth wall, Isaac compacted the stones, and moved them to surround his fist. He ran at the man, swinging punches, which were easily dodged. Then a blue fireball covered the man's fist. He threw an uppercut at Isaac which winded him, and made him fall to the ground.

The man approached Isaac, generating electricity at his fingertips. Isaac was still, and the man thought his journey for revenge against the Avatar was over. Suddenly Isaac got up, eyes glowing.

Isaac realised what was going on. He had no control over his body. He had entered the Avatar State. He created a gust of wind with his arms, which pushed the man back. Taking his chance, he shot the lightning at Isaac. He should have died. To the man's surprise, Isaac extended his fingertips, and seemed to absorb the lightning, until the man realised what was happening. Isaac extended his other arm, electricity shocking the air at his fingertips, and shot the lightning he had absorbed towards the man.

The man jumped back and landed on his hands, then generated a jet of flames, pushing him off the ground. He back flipped and landed, dodging his own lightning. Isaac's eyes still glowed white. He waved his arms, pulling water from the air around him, the water extending from his wrist, and 3 whips of flame from his other.

Isaac went on the offence, still unaware of what he was doing, went of the offensive, swinging his multiple whips towards the man. The man dodged them, but was barely able to fit in an attack. Eventually he heard sirens, and knew he had to end this. He put his wrists together, and took a deep breath. A small blue flame appeared at his wrist, flickering faster as he drew breath. Eventually he exhaled, and a jet of blue flame shot towards him. Isaac had never seen anything like this before. He pulled his arms up, and a slab of earth erupted through the floor, stopping the flame. The earth became red hot, Isaac feeling the heat. When it stopped, Isaac pulled his hands down, and made the wall between him and the man disappear into the floor. But the man was gone. Isaac felt himself regain control of his body, and knew he had left the Avatar state.

"Put your hands behind your head and get down on the ground!" yelled one of the local police officers who ran in with their guns pointed at Isaac. He obliged, and put himself on the ground. One of the police officers walked over, and handcuffed him, pulling him out of his burning home.

"Daddy!" Isaac heard Zoe yell. Isaac turned around to see Asher and Kayla by one of the police cars, and Zoe running towards him.

"Go to mum," Isaac said, "I will be fine."

He was forced into a police car, which drove off leaving his family behind. They arrived at the police station, where Isaac was thrown into a cell, to be questioned in the morning. Isaac awoke the next day, to the sound of his cell door opening. But the person standing at the door was second-last person he wanted to see right now.

"You did a good job hiding Isaac." Said Chief Inspector Johnstone.

"Wanting a life tends to cause people to do that." Sneered Isaac.

"Well the game is up now. You are coming with me, and continuing with where you left off."

"No he is not." Said Asher as he walked into the room.

"You really think just because you say so, we will let him go?"

"I have seen what your police force does. They are corrupt. They have committed as much police brutality as Isaac did. When the public hear what your police force has done, and what you have covered up, it will be a lot of bad news for you. Who knows, their reaction might be worse when they find out you are letting a criminal catch the criminals." Said Asher.

"You wouldn't. If you did, I would make sure that you never get a job again." Threatened Johnstone.

"Wow you really think I care?" asked Asher.

"If he doesn't work for us, how do we have any chance of finding the psychopath that attacked his home?" yelled the Chief.

Asher was quiet, and finally spoke.

"Isaac helps you take out the man, but then he is free. You cannot force him to do your work. If you do, the media will hear about the brutality you have covered up."

"Fine." Growled the chief, used to getting his own way, "but for his families safety, they will be put into witness protection."

"What?! No! You aren't taking my family away." Yelled Isaac.

"Isaac he is right, while that psychopath is after you, Kayla and Zoe are at risk of being hurt or worse." Said Asher, "I will take care of them myself if I have to, they will be safe."

Isaac looked at his friend, and then nodded. Knowing he had done what he could, Asher left the room, and the chief went to follow him. Before the chief made it to the doorway, the concrete floor in front of him rose in the doorway, blocking his exit.

"What are you playing at?" yelled the chief.

"It has been 10 years since I bloodbended. When I did, I had the power to end someone's life in absolute pain. I promised Kayla that I wouldn't bloodbend again. If you hurt her or Zoe, you will be next. Don't make me break that promise." Said Isaac. He stomped a foot, and the concrete in the doorway cleared. The chief left, remaining silent.

He thought Isaac was making an empty threat. He wasn't.


	2. Chapter 2: The Road To Mastery

**Chapter 2: The Road to Mastery**

Samuel woke up at 3am because of the person knocking at his door.

"I swear if this is something stupid…" said Samuel, cursing under his breath.

"He opened the door and found Isaac in front of it, bending the rain that was falling away from him.

"Isaac? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"It's a long story." Said Isaac.

"Well since I won't be going back to sleep tonight, I guess you have a lot of time." Said Samuel.

He and Isaac sat down at the table, and Samuel made him a coffee. Isaac explained everything to him, and Samuel couldn't believe it.

"That's horrible, how did he find you?" Asked Samuel.

"I don't know. He must have guessed where Asher was going, and followed him. We were singing happy birthday to Zoe, and he snuck in and attacked Asher, because Asher said he was me. When the cops showed up and I was winning the fight, he ran." Explained Isaac.

"So what can I do to help?" asked Samuel.

"Do you remember when we met in the Burning Suns Building, and you generated lightning. You said you would teach me that one day. If I want to stand a chance against this psychopath, I need to learn how to generate lightning." Said Isaac.

"I would be happy to do that, after a good night's sleep. You can crash on the couch. We will get started tomorrow morning." Said Samuel. He stood away from the table and walked upstairs to his bedroom.

Isaac lay on the couch, thinking about how he could stop this man. What if he hurt Zoe or Kayla? What is to stop him doing that? Eventually he fell asleep.

"Rise and shine lazy." Yelled Isaac's father, as he pushed Isaac until he woke up.

"31 years old and you still sleep in like a teenager." Laughed Samuel.

"Give me a break, I drove 15 hours last night, and didn't get to sleep until 3am." Isaac moaned.

10 minutes later, they were dressed, and in Isaac's car on their way to the farmland south of the city, where they could practise and not be noticed. They arrived at their destination, and Isaac prepared for his first firebending lesson. Everything he knew about firebending was self-taught. This was his first true lesson.

"The first step to generating lightning is peace of mind. No emotion. No rage, happiness or despair. Until you can do that, you won't be able to create lightning." Said Samuel.

Isaac took a second to think. He wondered what emotions he was feeling. He came to two answers. Fear and Excitement. After taking a breath, Isaac began to think.

"_My father will be a great teacher. I have nothing to worry about. He will teach me well. I will succeed. But there is a reason I am learning this. I am only learning this to keep Kayla and Zoe safe. It's nothing to be excited about."_ Isaac thought. He kept thinking these types of thoughts, until his mind was empty of any emotion.

"I'm ready." He said.

"Okay. Ancient firebenders described generating lightning as separating positive and negative energy, or yin and yang, then when they are allowed to become one again, lightning is formed, and guided by whoever generated. You don't control it." said Samuel, "I know it sounds like a bunch of voodoo mumbo-jumbo, but it is the mindset I have had whenever I generated lightning, and it hasn't let me down."

"Okay, so that is the psychological stuff, what about the physical form?" asked Isaac, intrigued by his new knowledge.

"While having this mindset, the form is circular. Most firebenders rotate their arms while generating the lightning. Some take a few seconds, while others can generate it almost instantly, depending on the degree of mastery." Explained Samuel, "Now I want you to attempt it."

Isaac repeated the thoughts he had to clear his mind before, and eventually had a mind empty of emotion. The thing that failed him was the separating of energy. He could not think how one would do that. He had never felt any mystical energy, and couldn't feel them now.

He spent the next few minutes taking a breath, closing his eyes, and moving his arms in a circular motion, but with no luck. Then he remembered something. How his father described the energies. Yin and Yang. Isaac had always thought of Yin and Yang as good and evil. Then he had an idea.

He repeated the process, and when he attempted to separate the energies, he remembered one of his nightmares. The one from when Aang took away his bending. His dark side torturing his light side. His Yin and his Yang. With his eyes closed, he imagined a wall between them. His light side finally feeling release from the torture of his dark side, stood up. Isaac opened his eyes.

His fingertips were surrounded by electrical sparks. He pointed his hand in the air, and imagined the wall in his nightmare disappearing. His dark side finding his light side again. Isaac felt a surge of energy leave his body through his arm, as a bolt of lightning lit up the sky. After it left, Isaac felt faint, and had to sit down.

"That happened to me the first time I generated lightning." Laughed Samuel as he walked over, "That is how it is done."

After Isaac felt strong enough to stand up, he continued this process, until he could do it with his eyes open. The afternoon came, and Samuel gave Isaac an instruction which he enjoyed.

"I want you to earthbend some stone people, to use as training dummies." Asked Samuel.

Isaac happily obliged. He stomped his foot firmly on the ground, and pulled his elbows towards him. 10 stone people flicked up from the earth, forming a triangle.

"I have errands to run. I have told you everything I know about lightning for now. Now it is just a matter of practise. I want you to stay here and practise until you can destroy all ten of these dummies with one attack." Said Samuel. He turned towards the road and began to walk.

Isaac stayed until 9pm. He continued to practise, and after lots of attempts was able to destroy seven of the 10 dummies. He would have stayed longer if he didn't see car headlights in the paddock. The owner of the property had probably heard the sound of the lightning making contact with the stone dummies, and wanted to see what was going on. Isaac kicked the ground, causing all the stone dummies to sink into the earth then ran to his car. He was almost spotted a few times leaving, but managed to move a rock a couple of hundred metres away to cause a distraction.

Isaac found his care, and drove home. He could generate lightning. He still had a lot to learn, but he at least had some hope that he could stop the man who wanted him dead and his family if they got in the way.


	3. Chapter 3: Training

**Chapter 3: Training**

Isaac stood in the paddock eyes closed, attempting to feel the presence of water. He felt none. But he knew it was there.

A month before he stood face to face with his old and new enemy. They fought, while Asher took Kayla and Zoe to safety, and eventually the man overpowered Isaac. If he didn't enter the Avatar State, he would have been killed. But when he was in the Avatar state he did something that he had never thought of before. He pulled the moisture from the air.

Since Samuel had taught Isaac the basics to generating, Isaac had been practising during the day, and researching his new enemy at night. Based on the information Asher had given him from the police force Isaac knew that the man's name wasn't known. The police interrogated him shortly after the takedown of the Burning Suns, and found out that he ran away from home as a teenager, and was taken in by the Burning Suns because of his firebending talents. He ran away from home because of his drunk, abusive father, and had been going by the street name Cobalt. Nobody knew his true identity.

Due to his low involvement in the gang, he was given the lowest sentence out of everyone arrested, but after a few violent outbursts in prison, resulting in wounded inmates and guards, his sentence was extended, until he broke out.

Last week Isaac got sick of lightning generation. He was desperate to do something new. After a lot of thinking, he remembered what he did in the Avatar State, and was determined to have this skill without it.

After 5 minutes with no feeling of water, Isaac took a stab in the dark. He raised his arms, and clenched his fists. He closed his eyes, and pulled his arms towards him, until he felt himself hit the ground.

Isaac smirked. He couldn't stop the airbender in him. Instead of pulling the water out of the air, all he had managed to do was pull the air towards him, which blew him over.

"_At least I didn't ignite the air," _thought Isaac, _"That could have been pretty painful."_

Isaac pulled himself off the ground. Looking up at the sky, Isaac noticed the crescent moon. Then it struck him how to learn it. The same way he did bloodbending. At first Isaac was too weak to blood bend without the full moon. It took lots of training before he was powerful enough to blood bend without it.

The moon was crescent shaped, which meant it would be a while before the full moon.

"_I will practise with lightning until the full moon, and then train my waterbending,"_ he thought, _"No use wasting my time on something I am too weak to do."_

Isaac went to go, then decided to brush up on his lightning. He put his arms out, and lifted from the earth 2 rock spheres, and threw them into the sky above him. Closing his eyes, Isaac continued to feel the presence of the stone balls as gravity took effect and they began to descend to earth, becoming faster and faster. He separated his arms, and rotated them. A second after he began to rotate them, electricity zapped the air surrounding his fingertips, and he threw his arms in opposite directions towards the stone balls. There were 2 matching explosions in the air as the twin bolts of lightning struck their targets, and small stones rained down around him.

Isaac ran towards his car and drove home, knowing that the noise of the lightning would have given away his presence there. When he got to his car, he sat there for a few minutes, and thought about how his seemingly normal life that he had worked so hard for was gone again. Gone because of one man.

Isaac turned the keys, and started his car. He drove the empty streets, and after what seemed like a minute or two, arrived at his father's house. He opened the door, and snuck up to his room. He lay in bed, wondering where Kayla and Zoe were, if they were safe, if he would see them again. Lost in his thoughts, Isaac opened his palm, a small flame flickering in the air above it, only to die a few seconds later when he closed it, and opened it again, restarting the cycle.

"_This is the only time since I have mastered all the elements that I have been in enough danger to enter the Avatar State,"_ he thought, continuing to create the flame above his palm,_ "I may be in over my head. The police made me do jobs that they couldn't handle. If I can't stop Cobalt, who will?"_

"Ah Isaac, great to see you!" Said Chief Inspector Johnstone with a fake smile.

"Cut the pleasantries Johnstone," said Isaac, "If you didn't have my family, and weren't actually useful for once, I would cut you down here and now." Said Isaac

The Chief was surprised. He had never seen Isaac like this. He beckoned him into his office.

"If you're not here to make small talk, cut to the chase." Said the Chief.

"I want to visit the prison that Cobalt escaped from. I want to talk to the prison workers and inmates. Try and figure out who I am dealing with." Said Isaac.

The chief sat back and thought for a moment.

"_Many of the inmates were put in that prison by Isaac, so if he were recognised, he may be in danger. But if he were to find out some crucial information, which could mean the difference between Cobalt getting caught and escaping the law…" _Thought Johnstone.

"Okay then, it is a deal. I will have a car here in half an hour to take you to the prison, with one of my officers escorting you…" began the chief.

"Asher will be escorting me." Interrupted Isaac.

"Who are you to call all of the shots?" asked Johnstone.

"I'm the Avatar. You are just some stuck up cop who is finally not getting his own way. It is my way, or you can catch Cobalt yourself. You need me, but I don't need you." Said Isaac. The last two things he said were a lie. He was going to stop Cobalt whether Johnstone helped him or not, and as much as he hated to say it, he needed Johnstone's information. Lucky for him, Johnstone didn't realise this.

"Fine, Asher will escort you there. "Said an obviously irritated Johnstone.


	4. Chapter 4: Questionning

**Chapter 4: Questioning **

"Me and a bunch of other officers heard something going on in the chief's office." Said Asher, as he drove the police car, with Isaac in the passenger seat, "We listened in, and honestly, you did the right thing, it was pure coincidence that Johnstone was the one who found out that Gibson was a traitor. He doesn't deserve to be the chief."

"Maybe one day the idiot will quit, and you will get his job." Laughed Isaac.

"I wouldn't want that. All he does is sits behind a desk and bosses people around. Where is the fun of that?" asked Asher.

"True, true." Isaac said, as he looked out the window. They had arrived at the prison. Asher drove up to the driveway, where in front of a tall gate, lined with barbed wire at the top. There was a man in a prison officer's uniform in a booth next to the car. Without saying a word, Asher pulled out his police ID, and showed it to the man, who opened the gate, no questions asked.

They made their way into the building, and navigated through their, until they found what they were looking for. A corridor, lined with cells on either side.

"Well look who we have, the police bitch!" said a familiar voice. Rolf, the one of the first criminals Isaac caught for the police, stood behind bars, in a cell to Isaac's right.

"So the other guy wasn't lying when he said that I had a reputation, was he Rolf?" asked Isaac.

Rolf attempted to spit on Isaac. This wasn't the first time people had done this. Isaac raised his hand, and stopped the saliva heading towards him. He froze it, and threw it into the Rolf's stomach.

"Without the bending, you are nothing." Laughed Rolf.

"Just like you are. Nothing." Isaac said.

"Fight me. Here and now. No fancy bending. Just fists!" yelled Rolf.

"We will question this one first." Isaac said to Asher, who was having a good laugh at the man. He called the guard over, who unlocked the cell. Isaac walked in, and the door closed behind him.

"I am just making sure that we have privacy." Said Isaac, as he lifted his hands. The concrete slab beneath the prison and the earth beneath that rose, blocking the barred wall between the cell and the hallway.

"I'm not telling you nothing!" said Rolf.

"I want to know what you know about Cobalt." Isaac asked, keeping calm, and trying to look as intimidating as possible.

"Are you deaf or just plain stupid? I told you, I'm not saying anything."

Isaac sighed. He didn't want to go to this extreme, but he had no choice.  
"One of the perks of being a waterbender, is that you can bend water in any form. Lucky for us, the human body is made up of a lot of water." Said Isaac.

"Why the hell do you think I give a crap about water?" said Rolf.

"Do you know why I catch criminals for the police? Because I bent the water in some peoples bodies. Killed them in the most horrible ways. It was considered police brutality, and working for the police was the only way I could stay out of prison. I promised my wife I wouldn't do that again, and I want to keep that promise, but you aren't giving me much of an option." Said Isaac, continuing to keep a calm expression. Rolf was starting to show signs of fear. Just like Isaac planned.

"I wonder how it would feel to have all of the water ripped from your body? Or to have an invisible hand twist your head, until your neck snaps. Heck, I have even crushed every organ in a man's body one by one." Said Isaac, starting to show an evil grin.

"Okay, I will tell you. We never saw too much of Cobalt. Most of us have never seen him. To some he was just a legend. He would be in the isolation ward most of the time, more than in his actual cell. He would always blow up the walls with that damned lightning of his, and make an escape. That's why the prison guards are armed so much heavier than most. That was the only way to stop him."

"Then how did he escape?" asked Isaac.

"Nobody knows exactly. We can only guess. One morning a prison guard was found dead in the laundry room, and the bars to Cobalt's cell melted. Apparently, in the middle of the night, Cobalt heated the bars of his cell to the point that they melted, and walked out of there. Then when he found a guard, he killed them, dragged the body to the laundry room, took his clothes and ID, and then walked out of the prison before anyone guessed what was going on. I'm not surprised that they never found the empty cell. Cobalt has wounded a few of the guards that walked past his cell during their shift. Most guards try to avoid it." explained Rolf, scared at the thought of Cobalt.

"Was there anyone here who he was close to?" asked Isaac.

"J Young." Rolf explained quickly. "That was his nickname in high school. He has been here longer than most. Not many inmates know what the J stands for though. He is one of the few people Cobalt didn't try and kill. You and your father torturing him really broke him. You have made a bad enemy."

"That is enough information for now." Said Isaac.

"If anybody asks, I told you nothing. If you don't catch Cobalt, and he finds out I ratted out on him, he will kill me." Said Rolf.

"No promises" grunted Isaac, as he pulled his hands towards the ground. The stone and concrete wall between the cell and the hallway lowered into the earth with a crash, and the prison guard looked at Isaac, confused about what had just happened. He unlocked the door, and let Isaac out.

"I want to speak to the prisoner that the inmates call J Young." Asked Isaac.

10 minutes later, Isaac was in a cell with a man in his 50s, who was starting to go bald.

"So you want to know about Cobalt?" said the man.

"Yes, but I have one other question which is stopping me from going on until I ask it." said Isaac.

"What the J stands for?"

"Yes" laughed Isaac. Prison had obviously changed this man. The prison guard told him he was here for murder. J Young had obviously learnt his lesson, and wasn't the same man who walked in to this prison 20 years ago.

"Jordan. Jordan Young." He laughed.

"Anyway, I wanted to ask you some questions about Cobalt." Asked Isaac.

"I will answer your questions on one condition. Cobalt was a good kid. He told me about his childhood, and why he joined the Burning Suns. He is a good person deep down, and I think with the right help, he may be able to become a better person." Explained Jordan, "When you find him, I don't want you to kill him, I want you to turn him in to the authorities. So he can get the mental help he needs."

"I will try and do that. The truth is, I am the Avatar, and he is the only person who has stood a chance against me in the past few years. I will try and capture him and hand him over to the authorities, but not if it means, that he will hurt my family or kill me. I would rather kill him, than let him than risk my own skin to hand him over." Explained Isaac.

"I understand. I had a family back in the day. A wife and a son. My wife passed away from cancer, and I ended up making some bad decisions to support my son. I conducted an armed robbery on a service station, and killed the man working there. I was caught, and sent to prison. My son was put into foster care, but got involved with drugs. He overdosed 10 years ago." Explained Jordan, "If you can't hand Cobalt over to the authorities without him killing you or hurting your family, do what you must,"

"What can you tell me about Cobalt?" Isaac asked.

"His real name is Nick. Nick McInnes. When he was four, his mother passed away giving birth to his younger brother, who died in the process. After this, his father became depressed, and became an alcoholic. He became abusive, which is what caused Nick to find out that he was a firebender. One night when Nick was 17, his father came home drunk again. When he was out, Nick had hidden his alcohol, hoping that since he didn't have the money to buy more, he could stay sober for a few days. His dad came upstairs to where he slept, and bashed him. He would have killed him if Nick didn't kick off his bed, and accidentally set his father's shirt on fire." Explained Jordan.

"That is horrible." Said Isaac.

"It is. He ran away, and eventually joined the Burning Suns after years of living on the streets. After being the new blood there for 6 months, he ran into you. " said Jordan.

"I burnt him until he let us out"

"Yes. The police raided the building, and locked him in here. Since he was the new blood, he only got a 3 year sentence. But he kept attacking the guards, and trying to escape, and eventually his sentence was extended to life. In that time he would be training his firebending. The guards would try and stop him, but short of killing him there was nothing they could do. Then he escaped. When he did, he came to my cell, and offered to help me out. I said no, because I am out of here in a year with good behaviour. He left"

"Why did you and him get on so well?" asked Isaac.

"The truth is, he reminds me of my son. He has become like a son to me. That is why, if you can, I don't want you to kill him."

Isaac thought for a moment.

"Honestly, I hope I can go without killing him. I have killed before. It is a stain on my past. But when everything goes wrong, nobody knows what they will do."


	5. Chapter 5: Breaking The Rules

**Chapter 5: Breaking The Rules**

"So can you do it?" asked Isaac.

"I can try." Said Asher.

It had been 2 months since Isaac had even been able to talk to Kayla and Zoe. He missed his wife and daughter, and knew that the only way he could see them again was to stop Cobalt. Until then, the police force owned his family. Their lives were in Johnstone's hands.

"Their files should be hidden. The chief doesn't want just anyone being able to access it. The only way we can find the files is through his computer. But how do we do that?" Asked Asher.

"I will give you some information on Cobalt. When you take it to show the chief, cut the phone line in his office without him noticing." Began Isaac, "I will call him, saying I have a lead. Since the line to his office has been cut, he has no way to take the call, but to leave his office. That is when you get on his computer, and take any files that look like they could have information on Kayla and Zoe."

"Sounds like a plan." Said Asher, "Tomorrow for 11am?"

"Sure, that should work. I will call at 11. When he leaves, get on the computer."

"Got it. This had better work. Otherwise my job is gone, and so are your chances of talking to Kayla and Zoe. It may take months to find Cobalt."

"Chief. I have some information from Isaac about Cobalt. His name." said Asher, as he walked into Johnstone's office, with some papers in his left hand.

"Really? I guess that your trip to the prison was actually worth it then." Said Johnstone, looking through the papers.

"_He is distracted. This is my chance." _Thought Asher. He looked at the phone that sat on Johnstone's desk. There were 2 cables running from it. A black one from which it was powered, and a green one which connected it to the rest of the phones in the building, and the outside world. That was the one.

As quietly as he could, Asher pulled from his pocket a flick knife. Removing the safety guard, he released the blade, and created a few small cuts in the green cable, small enough to remain unnoticed, large enough to do damage.

The clock on Johnstone's desk struck 11, and Asher heard the receptionists phone ring outside the chief's office.

"Chief Inspector, it is Isaac Reed, he says he has found more information on Cobalt. Possibly a location." Said the receptionist.

"I will take the call in here," he said. "2 seconds Asher."

He lifted the receiver, and put it to his ear, pressing a button on the main machine.

"Hello, Chief Inspector Johnstone." He said. Asher could hear silence on the other end from where he stood.

"Hello?" Johnstone said, showing annoyance. He looked at the phone, and saw the message on the display.

"No connection."

"Phone must have died," said Johnstone, looking at the cable, unable to see the sabotage that took place, "I will take it out there, excuse me."

He walked out of the room, and Asher took this moment to strike. He went over to Johnstone's computer, then searched it for Kayla, Reed, Zoe, Isaac, Cobalt and Avatar. After a few minutes of frantic searching, he found 1 name in the information on Kayla.

"Plenty Valley"

Asher heard footsteps. He quickly wiped the search history, and closed what he was doing. The chief walked in unaware of what had just happened. He sat back at his computer, then began typing. Eventually he looked up.

"Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?" he asked.

"No, that was everything thank you." Said Asher, as he turned around and left the office. It had worked.

"Plenty Valley is a town north of here. I should have guessed. That is where witnesses under police protection are usually hidden." Asher explained to Isaac.

"And you are sure they are there?" Isaac asked.

"Yes, that is the only registered location on Kayla's file. She never lived there had she?" asked Asher.

"No, she lived here all of her life, except when we went into hiding for the 10 years or so, and when she went to college. She has never mentioned this Plenty Valley."

"Then it is no coincidence. She is definitely there."

"But where? Even if we know where she is, how are we supposed to find her? The police have hidden her for a reason." Said Isaac.

"I have had to escort witnesses to their new homes here before. If I am right, she will be in the same place as the rest of them. That is the easy part." Said Asher.

"Do I want to know the hard part?"

"She will be under constant surveillance. The police are hiding her from the 2 most dangerous men alive, you and Cobalt. You have to get in unseen."

"You think that is hard? Please that is the easy part." Laughed Isaac.


	6. Chapter 6: 2 Steps Ahead

**Chapter 6: 2 Steps Ahead**

"I will be back in a few days." Said Isaac as he packed his bag, and threw it in the back seat of his car.

"Isaac, you are almost 32," laughed Samuel, "You don't need to tell me where you are going."

"I am making up for 12 years of that." Isaac laughed. He finished packing his things, and threw them in the back of his car."

"Also, I am leaving my mobile phone here. I can't have the cops tracking it." said Isaac, pulling his phone out of his pocket, and tossing it towards Samuel.

"Okay, I know I said five minutes ago that you didn't need to tell me where you were going, but now I am curious, why don't you want to be followed so much?"

"I have managed to find Kayla and Zoe. I am going to go see them. Judging by how much progress I have made tracking Cobalt, I might not see them again for a while." Explained Isaac.

"I see, and what if you get caught?"

"I get caught. The police aren't going to arrest me; I am the only one who can stop Cobalt. They will hide Kayla and Zoe again though." Isaac said, as he opened the door and got into the driver's seat.

"Well take care then. Say hi to my daughter in law and granddaughter for me." Said Samuel.

"I will" he said. He turned the keys in the ignition of the car, and waved to his father as he put his foot down and drove off.

7 hours later, Isaac was sitting in his car in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant, eating for the first time since he left that morning. He was four hours' drive away from where Kayla supposedly was. Asher had done some research, and found an address. By the end of the night, Isaac would be reunited with his wife and daughter.

Isaac opened the door, and stood out of the car to get some fresh air. After a few minutes, he went to get back in the car, until he saw something out of the corner of his eye. A flash from the corner of the parking lot. Before he knew was happening, he lifted his palms, and pushed them towards the ground. The asphalt beneath him dropped, and he fell into the hole beneath him. Isaac felt the heat of the electricity rush past him as he landed in the hole beneath him, as the lightning hit his car, causing it to erupt and explode into flames.

Isaac pulled his hands up, and felt himself pushed into the air as the asphalt returned to its usual position. He landed crouching on the ground, in the middle of the empty car park, then span as he got up, and pushed his hands away from him, sending flames to the far edges. Isaac looked around the car park, trying to find his attacker.

"Come out Cobalt. It's over." Yelled Isaac.

"It's far from over!" yelled a voice from above him. Isaac looked up and saw a figure hovering in the air, with blue flames protruding from his feet. He flicked his feet forward, and back flipped towards the ground, flicking flames in the area around them. Isaac pulled his arms up in front of him, then spun his hands, creating gusts of wind, extinguishing the flames around them. He jumped up, and kicked his feet. Flames appeared at his feet, and propelled him into a backflip in the air. As he landed, he punched the asphalt, creating a crack that extended between him and Cobalt.

Looking up to where Cobalt once stood, Isaac was shocked to see nobody there. Isaac heard the roar of flames, and turned around to see Cobalt flying towards him. Before he could do anything, Isaac felt the force of a truck hitting him. Cobalt hooked his arms around Isaac, and propelled himself towards the fast food restaurant, letting go of Isaac near a wall, he ascended. Still moving quickly from Cobalt, Isaac hit the wall with a thud, and felt himself start to go unconscious.

Isaac tried to get up, but failed, overcome by the pain. Cobalt landed softly, and walked towards Isaac.

"4 years ago, I was the new guy with the Burning Suns." Whispered Cobalt, blue flames covering his hands, "I was sent to give the prisoners food. They told me that all the new blood did that."

He extinguished the flames on his hands, and lifted his sleeves. Isaac could see in the moonlight the scars of handprints burnt into the man's arm.

"I was mocked by the other gang members in prison. I couldn't even feed the prisoners without getting burned. I was mocked for all those years in prison. All because of you."

Isaac tried to respond, but still struggled to move.

"Now, I will get revenge." Said Cobalt. He span his arms, and electricity appeared at his fingertips.

"Not if I can help it" yelled someone from behind Cobalt. Cobalt turned around to see Samuel step out of the shadows.

"I saw you walk past the house. You can wear all the hats and sunglasses you want, the scars were still obvious retard!" yelled Samuel, in the most politically incorrect tone he could use.

Cobalt turned around, and threw his hand towards Samuel, sending lightning towards him. Samuel extended his left hand, intercepting the lightning, then threw the bolt from his right hand towards Cobalt, who dived out of the way. He rapidly punched the air in front of him, throwing blue fireballs, most of which hit Samuel. While Samuel was distracted, Cobalt generated a bolt of lightning, and sent it towards Samuel.

The lightning bolt hit Samuel, and exploded upon contact.

"No!" Isaac yelled with the little strength he had left. Cobalt walked towards Samuel's still body on the asphalt.

"You should have stayed away old man." Said Cobalt. He spun his arms, and electricity zapped the air around his fingertips. He placed his hand on Samuel's chest, as electricity flowed through his body, ending his life.

"Now, back to the job at hand." Said Cobalt to himself, as he turned around, never expecting to see what he did. Isaac stood before him, eyes glowing from the Avatar State. Isaac pulled his elbows towards him, causing the earth beneath Cobalt to move towards him.

Flames engulfed Isaac's hands, as he grabbed Cobalt, and kicked him with a barrage of flames, knocking him to the ground. Isaac raised his right hand, and ripped the water from the air, an ability he could never possess outside of the Avatar State.

Water appeared at Isaac's hand. He stretched the water into a long spear, which he then froze. Cobalt realised how bad of a position he was in. Kicking flames from his feet, Cobalt was propelled along the asphalt, ripping his clothes in the process. He stood up, and after taking a short run up, jumped and propelled himself into the air out of sight.

Isaac felt himself gain control of his own body, and felt faint again. He crawled over to where his father lay lifeless. The man who disappeared for 12 years for his son's safety, then returned to keep him safe again.

His father, was now gone. Forever.


	7. Chapter 7: Family

**Chapter 7: Family**

Isaac stood in front of his father's grave, tears running down his face.

"I'm so sorry dad. I wish that this didn't happen. I wish I could have stopped this." He wept, "I will find this bastard. And I will kill him."

Isaac stayed at the grave for a few minutes. It was times like this when he wished Kayla were by his side. He had never felt so alone. After a few minutes, Isaac left the cemetery, and walked to the police station.

"Isaac, a pleasant surprise." Said Chief Inspector Johnstone.

"Cut the crap, I thought we discussed this?" growled Isaac.

"Just being pleasant." Said Johnstone.

"Wow that must be a first." muttered Isaac.

"Just tell me what you want, so you can leave." Said Johnstone irritated at Isaac's attitude.

"I found out Cobalt's real name. It is Nick McInnes. I want you to look up any family he may have. How soon can you get me results?"

"In about 10 seconds." Said Johnstone, typing into his computer.

"I found the file of a man who is believed to be his father." Said the Chief after a few minutes.

Isaac left the office 10 minutes later, with a slip of paper, on it, the address of Cobalt's father. Isaac walked to the address on the piece of paper, and arrived an hour later. He walked up to the door and knocked. When there was no response, Isaac looked in the window, and saw something that shocked him. Scorch marks on the walls, and blood on the floor.

Isaac ran around the side of the house. He pulled his arms towards him, and ripped bricks from the wall. The wall was double bricked. One layer on the outside, another layer on the inside. He removed the second layer of bricks, and placed them to the side. He walked in, flames ready in his hands for anything, or anyone. On the floor in the corner of the kitchen was a burnt corpse. Blood stained the tiles surrounding the corpse, and Isaac guessed that it was Cobalt's father. According to the source in the prison, Cobalt's father was an abusive alcoholic. Cobalt must have come here for revenge.

Isaac continued to search the house. It was empty, as if nobody had lived there for months. Isaac would have thought this, if he didn't look into a bedroom. The door had letters with faded paint, spelling 'Nick'. Inside the room was a single bed. Unlike the rest of the house, the bed had been slept in. But that wasn't what shocked Isaac. It was the wall, covered with pictures of Isaac. Isaac recognized a few photos from his school year books, the rest, he was unaware they were taken.

"_Cobalt is living here"_ thought Isaac. He ran out of the room, and closed the door behind him, careful not to leave any signs of him being there.

"_This is the best lead I have, if Cobalt realises I have found him, he will run. I must leave this place the way I found it"_

Isaac ran down the stairs, and out the hole in the side of the house. He lifted the bricks, and put them the way he found them, using a mixture of the concrete dust on the ground from when he ripped out the bricks, the dirt and water from the nearby tap as concrete to hold everything together. After twenty minutes, Isaac finished reassembling the wall, then ran home.

"Asher, it's me, I have found Cobalt." Isaac said into his mobile phone.

"Really? How?" Asher replied.

"I found his father's old home. His father was in there dead, but Cobalt's old room was being lived in."

"Are you sure?"

"The bed had been slept in, as well as the wall was covered with pictures of me."

"Well what's the plan?" asked Asher.

"I noticed a few security cameras around, I want you to go to the station now, and try and find the footage, see when he was there last, and where he went."

"I will head over now. Meet me there in an hour."

Isaac hung up the phone. He put it in his pocket, and grabbed his jacket and his bag. He filled up multiple bottles of water, and put them in, just in case. Samuel was killed last time he was unprepared. He wasn't taking any risks this time.

"The last time he was seen on the cameras was the day he attacked you and killed Samuel." said Asher, after spending hours looking through the videos on fast forward.

"He hasn't even come home?" asked Isaac.

"No, about 10 minutes after you came back, he walked over, got into his car and drove the same way you did. He hasn't returned since."

"Do you think I might have scared him off? That is the second time he has tried to kill me, and the Avatar State has saved my ass." Asked Isaac.

"No, this man is crazy. He doesn't care if you get killed in the process. He just wants you dead." Replied Asher, confused about Cobalt's motives.

" Maybe he figured out where you were going. He saw Kayla and Zoe the night he attacked us. He knows that she is your daughter, she called you daddy. What if he noticed they weren't with you, and guessed you were going to see them. What if he has been looking for them the past week?"

"How could he find them?" asked Isaac, worried for his family's safety.

"There are 5 towns on the highway near where you were attacked. Plenty Valley is one of them. Maybe we haven't seen him in days, because he has been searching the towns for your weakness." Explained Asher.

"Call the chief, get him to relocate Kayla and Zoe immediately, somewhere far away. Tell him that if they aren't gone tonight, I will be breaking some promises." Said Isaac.

Asher pulled his phone out of his desk drawer.

"Chief, it's me. Isaac and I have found Cobalt. He is looking for Isaac's family. Isaac requests that they be hidden far away." Said Asher.

"Do you know what time it is? It is 3am! I will have them moved in the morning!" Said Johnstone on the other end of the line.

"I have heard enough," said Isaac, grabbing the phone from Asher's hand, "Listen here you stupid prick. You will have them moved in the next half hour, otherwise I will come to your house now, and rip every bit of water from your body! Got it, bastard?"

"Calm down Isaac, I will get my officers on the job soon."

"Soon isn't good enough. Now!" Isaac yelled down the phone.

"Fine, I will call the local police department now. They will be gone in the next hour."

"They had better be." Isaac said down the phone. He pressed the button to hang it up. Suddenly the phone burst into flames.

"Sorry, that was an accident" said Isaac passing the phone to Asher. Asher stood there in shock. He had never seen this side to his lifelong friend. This was new.

"Isaac, go home and get some sleep. We will leave tomorrow at dawn, and track down this guy." Said Asher.

"No, I am leaving now. You can stay if you want, but there is no way I can sleep at the moment."

"Fine, I will get the police car ready, meet me there in 5 minutes."

5 hours later, they were on the highway, police sirens blazing, car going way above the speed limit.

"On this freeway, there are 5 towns, Rosanna, Doreen, Lalor, Diamond Creek and Plenty Valley. He may be in one of them towns. Should we look there?" asked Asher.

"No, straight to Plenty Valley. I need to know that Kayla and Zoe are safe." Isaac replied, showing signs of fatigue. Suddenly his phone began to ring. Isaac looked at the display, shocked at who the caller I.D identified it as.

"This is Kayla calling!" Isaac exclaimed. He pressed a button and put the phone to his ear.

"Kayla, are you and Zoe alright." Isaac asked.

"Don't worry Isaac, they are fine, for now." Said a voice on the other end of the line.


	8. Chapter 8: The Final Battle

**Chapter 8: The Final Battle**

"Cobalt?! How did you find them?"

"It is kind of obvious there is an emergency when 4 police cars leave Plenty Valley, sirens blazing, going as fast as they can." Said Cobalt on the other end of the line.

"What's happening?" asked Asher from the driver's seat.

"He has found Kayla and Zoe. The idiot police took them out with siren's on going as fast as they can." Said Isaac.

"Be at the Lalor High School in 2 hours, if you ever want to see that bitch alive again. Try any funny business, and they both die." Said Cobalt, as the line went dead.

"He is at Lalor High School." Said Isaac.

"Why there, we just went past there?" asked Asher.

"It is summer vacation, the school will be empty. As well as Lalor is far away from Plenty Valley I suppose. It doesn't matter, just drive!" said Isaac. Asher did an illegal U-turn, and put his foot to the floor, causing the car to accelerate greatly.

"How long will it take us to get there?" asked Isaac.

"At this rate, about an hour. He must have thought that we were back home. I think he just wants to kill them, seeing as there is no way anyone could get from home to Lalor in less than 2 hours." Said Asher.

They continued to drive along the highway, as fast as the car was capable of going, until a sign caught Isaac's eye.

"_Lalor, 1km"_

"Pull over." Said Isaac.

"Why?" asked Asher.

"We are close now. He isn't expecting me for a while. If I go on foot, I can get there early, and surprise the bastard." Said Isaac. Asher nodded, and put his foot on the break. Isaac felt the car slow down to a stop, and Asher pulled over.

"What can I do?" asked Asher.

"Call the chief. Tell him we knew where Cobalt is. Tell him to trace my mobile, and have anyone he can get his hands on ready to attack. When I kill the phone he should lose a signal. Don't come in until I kill the signal." Said Isaac.

"Got it. Good luck." Said Asher to his old friend. Isaac shut the door, as Asher began to drive off. Isaac ran along the side of the road. 20 minutes later he arrived at the entrance to the town of Lalor. After following the signs, Isaac arrived at the High School a few minutes later.

"_Cobalt isn't expecting me for another half hour. I may be able to surprise him." _Thought Isaac, as he walked around the side of the school, and climbed over the fence. All the buildings should have been locked for the break, so Isaac walked around the school, looking for some sign of a break in. If there wasn't one, Cobalt must be outside.

After looking at all the entrances to the buildings, Isaac ran down to the football field. He was almost there when he say something that he hoped he wouldn't. Kayla and Zoe, with Cobalt standing behind them, short blue flame protruding from his fingertips, pointed at Kayla's head.

Isaac hid behind the trees nearby, and lucky for him, Cobalt didn't see him. It began to rain, as Isaac came up with a plan, and prayed to whatever God that was willing to listen, that he is able to protect his family.

"He has 15 minutes to get here." Said Cobalt, grinning as he looked at his watch.

"Mummy, I'm scared." Whispered Zoe, as she clutched her mother's leg.

"Shut up, little bitch." Yelled Cobalt at Zoe, who began to sob.

"I hope Isaac sends you to hell, where you belong." Whispered Kayla, as she stroked Zoe's head, trying to calm her daughter down.

Rain poured down as they continued to wait.

"I think your husband may have forgotten about you." Laughed Cobalt, as the 2 hour limit drew nearer.

"You really don't know what you are up against do you? I have seen Isaac when he is angry. It won't end well for you." Said Kayla.

"I am stronger than he ever will be."

"What but you aren't stronger than what he used to be…" said Kayla.

"What the f…" started Cobalt. Suddenly the earth beneath Cobalt shot up, sending Cobalt flying into the air.

Before he knew what was happening, the raindrops that fell around him began to group together, and cover him. When he was covered up to his neck, they froze.

"Kayla! Get Zoe and run!" Cobalt heard Isaac yell beneath him. As Isaac continued to control his icy straight jacket, Cobalt was lowered to the ground, thanks to the promises that Isaac made, instead of gravity taking effect, and letting Cobalt fall to his doom.

Kayla and Zoe ran, and Isaac walked onto the football field as Cobalt hovered towards him.

"Did you really think you could beat me?" asked Isaac, as he smirked at Cobalt.

"Oh I didn't think it," began Cobalt. His hands started to glow, as the ice melted. Once the ice was gone, blue flames appeared at his hands, and melted the rest of the ice.

"I know it!" yelled Cobalt. He slid his foot along the ground, causing a wave of embers to fly towards Isaac. Isaac put his arms in front of him and span around, creating a miniature whirlwind, catching the embers, and sending them towards their creator. Next Isaac rose to pillars of earth next to him, then cut small disks of stone, and threw them towards Cobalt. He dodged some with ease, and destroyed the rest even easier.

Cobalt ran forward, and jumped onto his hands, then pushed himself off the ground, performing a front flip, and creating flames heading towards Isaac. Isaac pulled the water from the rain, and spread it in front of him, which instantly evaporated from the heat of the blue flames.

Taking a deep breath, Isaac raised his hands, and stopped the rain around him. Cobalt, confused over what was happening, looked up at the sky. The rain held in the air, had been stretched, into long thin spears, and frozen. All pointed towards Cobalt. Isaac pulled his hands to the ground, and pulled the icy spears toward Cobalt. Pulling his arms in, Cobalt span around, and extended his hands, and threw flames into the air around him, melting the icy spears.

Realising that there was no way he could win this fight here, Cobalt began to run, and jumped into the air, creating jets of flame to keep him airborne, and was soon followed by Isaac. Cobalt flew above the football field, towards the buildings of the school. Until he heard something behind him. Isaac had stopped moving, but was spinning his arms, generating lightning. Cobalt had only one option. Something he had never even attempted. Redirect the lightning. Isaac released the lightning, which rushed towards Cobalt, who extended his left hand, and absorbed the lightning. Cobalt extended his right hand and released the built up energy. He thought he had one. Isaac was as good as dead. But he was wrong.

The lightning left Cobalt's body through his right hand, but exploded as it left, due to Cobalt's lack of experience with lightning redirection. The force of the explosion sent Cobalt flying through the air, until he reached one of the buildings. He crashed through the window, and landed in the school science lab.

"I promised Jordan I wouldn't kill you. He seemed to believe that there was some good in you. He was wrong. So I am going to have to break that promise." Said Isaac as he landed through where the window used to be, and stood on top of the broken glass.

Isaac looked up and saw a smoke detector. Readying a fireball, Isaac threw the fireball at the smoke detector, causing water to spurt out into the room, making the environment to Isaac's advantage. Pulling up whips of water, Isaac swung his arms towards Cobalt, who jumped out of the way, whilst the gas taps were destroyed from the whips instead. Gas hissed as it poured out of the tap.

The two continued to battle, until Cobalt used an attack familiar to Isaac. He generated lightning, and put his hand to the wet floor. Isaac felt the shock of electricity run through him, and fell to the ground weakened by the attack.

"The might Avatar, Isaac Reed. Dead. By a simple firebender. Goodbye Avatar Isaac."

Isaac could smell gas in the air, and didn't have the strength to move. Cobalt span his arms, as lightning appeared at his fingertips. Isaac had only one choice.

Using the last of his strength, Isaac created a spark in his hand.


	9. Chapter 9: Moving On

**Chapter 9: Moving On**

"To those that knew him, Isaac Reed was a tragic hero. He thought of others before himself, and though he made mistakes, he redeemed himself, and did greater than what those close to him could ever imagine, even in his circumstances." Said Isaac

Kayla looked at the urn which held her husband's ashes, eyes teary. He had died protecting her and Zoe. She first loved him after he put his life on the line for her, and when he died for her, she had never loved him more. Isaac continued to speak to the guests at the memorial service for Isaac, but Kayla wasn't listening. She had too much on her mind.

"So today we say goodbye to Isaac Reed, one of the greatest people, that the world will never know." Finished Asher.

For the next hour, Kayla spoke with guests who offered their condolences. Eventually Asher came over to her.

"Thank you for organising this Asher. There is no way I could have done this myself." Said Kayla.

"I wouldn't have let you do this by yourself. Isaac had been my best friend since we were kids, and that isn't changing." Said Asher.

"Thank you. The past few days have been really hard."

"By the way, the chief apologizes for not being able to make it today and offer's his condolences." Said Asher.

"Tell the stupid prick that we didn't want him here, and that he can go to hell." Kayla said, covering Zoe's ears.

"That is the sort of thing Isaac would say." Said Asher, "You had better get back to Samuel's old apartment. Get some rest. You need it."

"I was just about to leave." Said Kayla, "Do you mind thanking everyone for me. I don't think I could cope with it."

"I understand. I will." Said Asher. Kayla and Zoe left the memorial hall, Isaac's urn in Kayla's hands.

They arrived at Samuel's old apartment, and Kayla gave Zoe the keys, telling her to let herself in. She sat in the car for a few minutes. It seemed like only last week that she was the new girl at Isaac's school, a few days ago that they got married, and yesterday that Zoe was born. It seemed like 14 years had gone so fast.

Kayla got out of the car, and walked towards the open door, until she heard something strange.

"Daddy!" yelled Zoe. Kayla ran in, to see Zoe in the arms of Isaac, limbs bandaged, but alive.

"Isaac?! How?! You died in the explosion?!" yelled Kayla.

"I'm sorry, but I have been hiding out at Asher's place. We couldn't risk anyone finding out I was alive." Explained Isaac, as he put Zoe down onto her feet.

"But how are you alive. We were running away, and heard an explosion. When I turned around, that room was burning down."

"The Avatar State. It saved my life." Said Isaac, "When me and Cobalt were fighting, we ended up in one of the school's science labs. I accidentally broke one of the gas taps in the room, and the room was filled with gas. When Cobalt had defeated me, the only way I could win was to create a flame."

"That was the explosion?" asked Kayla, tearing up at the sight of her husband.

"Yes. But just after I created that flame, I entered the Avatar state. Whilst in that, my bending is much more powerful. In the split second between the flame and the explosion, I must have managed to extinguish the flames near me. Then I must have run away. I can't remember too well, I passed out when I left the Avatar state, and woke up a few hours later. Asher was looking around the property for you two, and found me passed out. When I came around, he told me that the authorities thought I died in the explosion."

"But why hide? Why have us think you died?" asked Kayla.

"So we could live again. One of my past lives, Avatar Bumi, he faked his own death, so he could live, as well as the Avatars after him. The police would never be finished with me. This was the only way."

"Wait, if you are alive, whose ashes are in this?" asked Kayla, lifting the urn.

"Probably what's left of the Science lab, and Cobalt." Said Isaac. He walked over and took the urn from her hands, then walked out the back door. Isaac placed the urn on the ground, the pushed the earth beneath it up, sending the urn skyward. As it was in mid-air, Isaac generated lightning, and sent it at the urn, causing it to explode on impact.

"That is the end of Cobalt." Said Isaac. He looked at his wife, who ran over, and put her arms around him.

After 14 years of dreaming, Isaac and Kayla were able to live their life together. Their happy ever after.


	10. Chapter 10: Happily Ever After

**Chapter 10: Happily Ever After**

Isaac finished work, and got into his car to drive home. The request was for a brick wood fire pizza oven, in an arch shape. Isaac earthbended the bricks into place, and spent most of the hot day relaxing in the pool while the owners of the house were out. As he was driving home, he got a text message from Kayla, asking if he could pick Zoe up from school.

It had been a year since Isaac's supposed death, but since then he had never had more of a life. He returned to his handyman business, and everything went back to normal.

He arrived at the school, to see Zoe out the front, with her teacher by her side.

"Mr Smith? Could we please talk?" asked the middle aged woman, faking a smile at Isaac.

"Zoe, go sit in the car, I will be there in a minute." Isaac said, smiling at his young daughter. She ran over to the back seat of the car and jumped in. Isaac noticed how she never walked, only ran as fast as she could.

"I wanted to ask about Zoe's large absence from school last year." Said the teacher.

Isaac had worried about this. Even though it had been a year, Zoe wasn't mentally stable enough to leave her parent's side after the ordeal with Cobalt. She had only returned to school 3 months before.

"Her grandfather had a heart attack a little while ago. We went to see him, and stayed there for a while. Then she witnessed her grandfather dying when we visited him in hospital. I know it seemed a bit excessive, but it scarred her. We thought it would be best for her to have a break." Said Isaac, lying through his teeth. This teacher didn't care that Zoe had been away from school so long. She was just unable to mind her own business.

"I see. Well I think it would be best for Zoe to repeat the third grade." Explained the teacher.

"She will be fine. She will catch up, she is a smart girl." Said Isaac firmly.

"In case you change your mind, I would recommend reading this." Continued the teacher, handing Isaac a pamphlet.

"Ok then, I will think about it." Isaac said, continuing to lie so he could leave.

He turned around and walked to his car. As he did, he scrunched the pamphlet into a ball, then ignited it, letting the ashes hit the ground.

Isaac and Zoe got home 20 minutes later, and found Kayla preparing dinner. After they ate, and Zoe went to bed, Isaac and Kayla sat on the couch, completely silent. Until Kayla broke the silence.

"Until Asher came last year, it seemed like life would be normal. How do we know that it is going to stay that way?" asked Kayla. Isaac thought long and hard about what he was going to say.

"The truth is I don't. I'm the Avatar. The world needs me. Our lives may seem like they will be normal, but eventually that won't be the case. When the world needs me, I need to do what has to be done. We should just take everything as it comes." Said Isaac. Kayla smiled at him and leant up against him. Isaac assumed he had said the right thing, and breathed a sigh of relief, quiet enough for his wife to not hear.

Most peoples idea of happily ever after was to be anything but normal, but for Isaac, someone who was far from normal, his happily ever after was the life he was living now. His normal life. He knew that it wouldn't stay that way forever, but he was going to enjoy it while he did.

Isaac was happy, and that the moment, that was good enough for him.


End file.
